MOVIE REVIEW: The Duke of Burgundy (2014)

This erotic drama follows the relationship of two lesbian women Evelyn and Cynthia who are very much in love. Evelyn is a woman whose kink is service submission and degradation. She asks Cynthia to dominate her and goes into great detail scripting out their scenes together, even coaching her on which tone to use when she degrades her.

This film is important in the realm of Female Led Relationships because it depicts the lengths that a partner will go through to satisfy the one she loves. The “dominant” partner does not truly enjoy dominating her partner.  Eventually this false dominance leads to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity and their relationship is tested.

This movie was heart breaking for me. I felt that the dominant partner was trapped by her love. How sad for anyone to consistently have to pretend to be someone else just to please a lover.

Watch this film (streaming on Netflix) and ask yourself the following questions:

1. This is a Female Led Relationship because both of the participants are female, but is the submissive woman’s behavior acceptable in a power exchange relationship?
2. What would happen to the relationship if the false dominance is halted?
3. Would you be willing to give up your submissive kinks if you knew it was troubling your partner? Why or why not?

Share your reactions to the film in the comments below!

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